The moment the system announced the start of the round, everyone was looking around nervously, probably scared to act first.Mia looked to Kael, probably to team up but there was something wrong with Kael.His head was facing down,his arms looking numb like they were broken.Then a red,crimson aura started appearing around kael.
[Beserk — Activated]
Kael raises his head and locks onto Mia.Mia being confused nervously asks "Kael,What's wrong?".Kaels amber/burnt golden eyes fully turned crimson doesn't give Mia an answer and instead pounces at her.Kael was the first to act and Mia being caught off guard lunged her cutlass at Kael but due to Kael having double the speed and Mia lunging her cutlass in a hurry,Kael was abled to dodge the strike,get behind Mia,wrap his chains around her and choke her out.
Suddenly the system message popped up
[Challenges eliminated 1/3]
[Passive skill acquired: Merciless]
Merciless:Reduces enemy reaction time by 10% and enemy's in a range of 3 meters recieve a fear debuff reducing all stats by 10%
Kael still being under the effects of berserk instinctively activates Merciless.
[Merciless — activated]
In that moment,every challenger in a 3 meter range felt immense fear,not to the numerous amount challengers but to just one guy— Kael.
Kael locks onto a green haired boy who was trying his best to get out of Kaels range and lunges at him like a wild beast.The boy couldn't react in time and kael was able to get a couple shots on the boy before wrapping his arms around the boys neck and choking him out using his chains.
[Challengers Elimated (2/3]
Suddenly the arena turned into a gruesome battle field with challengers fighting to kill eachother but no one was trying to take on Kael.Despite being chained up with no weapon,the aura he emmited as well as the crimson glow in his eyes which made him look like a wild beast caused every challenger to look away in fear but that wouldn't stop Kael.
The man slaughtering beast took aim at his next target quickly elimating them,then his next and then his next.He didn't care that he had exceeded the level cap,all he cared about was the battle.
[Challengers Elimated (3/3)]
[Challengers Elimated (4/3)]
[Challengers Elimated (6/3)]
[Challengers Elimated (9/3)]
[Skill acquired — bloodlust]
Description:Locks onto a target,engulfing them with bloodlust causing them to loose their rationality,go blind for the duration,as well as reducing their defence by 20%
Just then, someone finally steps up to challenge the behemoth.
Unlike the other challengers who ran or hid, this one walked calmly toward Kael—as if the chaos around them didn't matter at all. He had short white hair that looked messy but sharp, icy blue eyes that didn't show fear, and a relaxed posture that felt way too confident for someone with no weapon in his hands.
He stopped a few meters away from Kael.
"Stand down," he said calmly. "You're out of control. If you keep going, I'll handle it myself."
Kael didn't respond. His crimson Berserk eyes locked onto the only person in the arena who wasn't scared of him.
[New target acquired]
Kael launched himself at the white-haired boy.
The boy,Riven,sidestepped Kael's first strike smoothly, almost like he predicted where the chains would swing. He countered with a quick palm strike, but Kael blocked it with the length of his shackles and forced Riven back with surprising strength.
They began exchanging blows, fast and sharp.
Kael used his chains like reinforced gauntlets, swinging his arms in wide arcs and snapping the shackles forward like short whips. Riven blocked with his forearms, redirected Kael's momentum, and tried to close the distance.
Kael attacked again, the crimson aura around him flickering intensely.
Riven ducked under a chain swing, stepped in, and tried to sweep Kael's leg, but Kael jumped over it with unnatural speed. Riven flipped backward to avoid getting hit, landing lightly on his feet.
It was a clash of raw fury and pure technique.
Kael rushed in again, shortening his chain by wrapping it tightly around his arm. He threw a punch with all the force his Berserk state gave him. Riven blocked, but the sheer impact sent him sliding back across the arena floor.
Kael didn't let up.
He dashed in, delivering a rapid series of chain-assisted strikes. Riven dodged the first few, tried to counter, but Kael's speed doubled under Berserk left him one step behind.
Riven attempted one last finishing blow, but just as he swung, Kael grabbed his wrist, pulled him forward, and drove his chained forearm into Riven's chest using the momentum.
Riven staggered, dropped to one knee, and looked up at Kael with a faint, almost impressed smile.
"You're strong… too strong to be ruled by this," he managed to say.
Then he collapsed, unconscious.
[Challenger Eliminated (10/3)]
Kael's crimson aura began to fade as Berserk wore off. His breathing slowed, his eyes shifted back to their amber color, and the wild aura around him disappeared completely.
[Skill acquired — Close Combat]
Description:Increases power and accuracy of physical strikes within 1 meter By 100%
Kael stood there, finally regaining clarity.
He didn't remember most of what happened.
But his body felt like it did.
Suddenly the system message appeared for the final time this round.
[Well done!]
[Stage one — cleared]
[Challengers will now be transported back to their facilities]
[Rewards will be distributed accordingly]
Suddenly Kael found himself back in his white room
lub-DUB
Kaels heart beated intensely as the constant battling of the first stage caught up to him.Suddenly all the memories surged into his head causing his to collapse to the ground of the internal,mental and physical pain of his battle from Riven catching up to him.
After a few minutes Kael stood back up and realised something. These chains weren't just some random curse the Tower slapped on him. They were on him for a reason.
It hit him slowly at first…
then all at once.
The Tower wasn't trying to weaken him.
It was trying to contain him.
Every skill he gained,from Berserk to Merciless to Bloodlust, and now Close Combat pointed toward one clear truth:
This wasn't a weapon meant to hold him back.
It was a warning.
A path.
And kael would walk that path until not even the tower could keep him contained anymore.